CHICAGO — A 16-year-old boy, on pretrial release for a felony and on probation for another felony, shot his neighbor during an attempted robbery on the West Side, prosecutors said.
Tashawn Johnson is the 20th person accused of shooting, killing, or trying to shoot or kill someone in Chicago this year while on felony pretrial release. The crimes involved 33 victims, six of whom died.
Johnson’s 52-year-old neighbor had just arrived home from work and was in the process of cleaning his Ford Mustang when he saw Johnson standing nearby in the first block of North Mayfield around 8:53 p.m. on June 13.
As the victim cleaned the Mustang, Johnson got into the front passenger seat without permission and asked him if he had any weed, Assistant State’s Attorney Jennifer Walsh said during a detention hearing.
After the man told him he did not have any weed, Johnson pulled a loaded firearm with an extended ammunition magazine from his waistband and pointed it at the victim, said Walsh.
“Give me your money, motherf******,” Johnson allegedly ordered.
Walsh said the victim grabbed for Johnson’s gun and pointed it toward the ground, sparking a short struggle for control of the firearm. During the fight, Johnson allegedly pulled the trigger, striking the victim in the pelvic area.
The victim told officials Johnson walked back toward his building after the shooting, and he heard someone yelling “Tay! Tay! Tay!” after being shot. A gold chain his wife had given him was missing.
“The dude that shot me, his name is Tay,” the victim allegedly told Chicago police officers at the scene. “He lives right there on the first floor… He tried to shoot me in the head.”
This story is made possible by contributions to the Cook County Courtroom Transparency Fund.
Johnson was carrying a loaded, stolen firearm when police arrested him several days later, Walsh said.
She also detailed Johnson’s juvenile background for Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman, saying he is on probation for a 2022 carjacking. And, Walsh said, 19 days after a judge took him off electronic monitoring in that case, he got arrested again for a case that originated as an aggravated robbery. But the second case, which is still pending, was charged as an attempted aggravated battery.
Johnson failed to show up for a court date on May 16, prompting a judge to issue an arrest warrant. He was taken in on the warrant on May 31 and was once again released from custody. The shooting he is now charged with occurred barely three weeks later.
Assistant Public Defender Erin Monroe represented Johnson during the detention hearing. She said he maintains his innocence, adding that he recently finished his sophomore year and regularly attends church with his grandmother.
Judge Glennon-Goodman granted the state’s detention petition.
Johnson is charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery by discharging a firearm, robbery, unlawful vehicular invasion, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and possessing a stolen firearm.
The “not horrible” series
This report continues our coverage of individuals accused of killing, shooting, or trying to kill or shoot others on pretrial release for a felony allegation. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “We haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.
On September 18, 2023, Illinois eliminated cash bail entirely. Our “not horrible” continues.
The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people awaiting trial for felony allegations is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has brought charges in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, according to the city’s data.
